Event context transfer in a heterogeneous communication system

Abstract

The present invention provides a method involving at least one mobile node and a heterogeneous network comprising a plurality of access nodes. The method includes transferring event context information associated with a mobile node from a first access node to a second access node.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 transferring event context information associated with a mobile node from a first access node to a second access node in response to the mobile node selecting the second access node as a controlling access node so that media independent handover (MIH) commands invoked in a layer stack of the second access node propagate to a layer stack of the mobile node, the event context information indicating an event context state of the mobile node and at least one trigger for reporting at least one event between the mobile node and the second access node following handoff of the mobile node to the second access node, said at least one event indicating a change in state or a transmission behavior of at least one of a physical layer, a data link layer, or a logical link layer used for communication between the mobile node and the second access node following handoff of the mobile node to the second access node. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring the event context information to the second access node comprises transferring the event context information to the second access node in response to determining that the mobile node is associated with the second access node. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , comprising determining that the mobile node is associated with or pending association with the second access node. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining that the mobile node is associated with or pending association with the second access node comprises accessing information indicative of a handoff of the mobile node from the first to the second access node. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining that the mobile node is associated with the second access node comprises determining that the mobile node is associated with the second access node based on a registration request message provided to the second access node by the mobile node to select the second access node as the controlling access node. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , comprising receiving the registration request message. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein receiving the registration request message comprises receiving a registration request message indicating that the second access node is the controlling access node for the mobile node. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring the event context information comprises transferring the event context information from a media independent handover layer in the first access node to a media independent handover layer in the second access node. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring the event context information comprises transferring event context information associated with the mobile node and the first access node, the event context information having been previously established for communication between the mobile node and the first access node to indicate said at least one trigger for reporting said at least one event between the mobile node and the first access node. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , comprising forming at least one event report based on the transferred event context information. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , comprising forming at least one event session identifier based on the transferred event context information. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , comprising transmitting a deregistration message from the first access node to the mobile node indicating that the second access node will receive event reports. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , comprising registering events indicated by the event context information with a media independent handoff function or layer in the mobile node. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring said event context information associated with the mobile node from the first access node to the second access node comprises transferring information indicating at least one threshold for reporting said at least one event so that transmission of the report is triggered when said at least one event exceeds said at least one threshold. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein transferring said information indicating said at least one threshold comprises transferring information indicating a threshold for at least one of a loading condition, a channel condition, a signal strength, or a block error rate. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring said event context information associated with the mobile node from the first access node to the second access node comprises transferring information indicating that the mobile node is registered for reporting said at least one event. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein transferring said information indicating that the mobile node is registered for reporting said at least one event comprises bypassing transmitting an event registration message from the mobile node to the second access node upon handoff of the mobile node to the second access node. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , comprising reporting said at least one event based upon said the transferred event context information associated with the mobile node. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein reporting said at least one event comprises reporting said at least one event using event services provided by a media independent handover layer.